Saving lives from house fires is as simple as a few batteries, a handful of alarms, and some metaphorical elbow grease. Here's what you need to know. Firefighters, Smokey the Bear, and Sparky the Fire Dog all tell you the same thing: Most house fires are preventable. Not to put you in the hot seat when it comes to the "only you can...." messag...

"I loved the Polar Vortex, so I'm not going to complete the routine maintenance to keep my heating system working," said no one ever.   ​ Heating is no joking matter. A cold winter's night can be unpleasant at best, and rather than suffering through with blanket forts and warm tea (if you have a gas stove), complete the proper maintenance to a...

Reading time: 2 minutes  ​If completing maintenance on your roof isn't a priority, it should be. A new roof can cost as much as $40,000 , and insurance companies may refuse to honor a damage claim if your roof was not well-maintained in the first place. Avoid costly issues and prolong the life of your roof by completing a few routine maintenan...

Reading time: 3 minutes You're burning daylight. With the usual suspects—Jack Frost, snow, and higher utility bills—arriving sooner rather than later, you need to prepare your home for those long, cold winter nights. We have a list of afforadable home heating systems maintenance that is so quick and easy, you might be able to complete it ...

Reading time: 5 minutes ​Every new homeowner has at least one horror story. From collapsing floors to ants in the bed, these frights can keep you up at night, but many of these stories could have been prevented if the owners had known then what they know now . In the spirit of Halloween, here are some of the scariest homeowner stories we've heard a...